Bought quite a bit of second-hand music over the last month or so, just 'cause I saw it in a charity shop and it was in good condition. This is me finally getting a chance to look it over. However, just glancing at music never gives you a very good guide as to what you might enjoy! I hoped some folk might suggest their favourites from a couple of the books (they're all from the ABRSM 'signature' edition), and provide a little inspiration.

For example, one is Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words. I had a very bad experience with one when I was young, and have shied away from Mendelssohn ever since...

Another is Chopin Preludes...I know a few, but does anyone have a personal favourite, or one they find particularly satisfying? (I'm frustrated with No. 15, in Db at the moment, since there's just...one...chord... that my hands are too small to reach. Bah.)

Anyway, here's the others I picked up:

Schubert - Complete Pianoforte Sonatas Volume III, Imprompus - D. 935 and D. 899

Brahms - 4 Piano Pieces, Op. 119

Chopin - Waltzes, and Nocturnes

Also - Scarlatti, 60 Sonatas Volume I [Edited Kilpatrick, not ABRSM] and Debussy - Pour le piano

Any suggestions? :smile2:

It all sounds fantastic! Aren't your fingers itching just to play through some of it and decide for yourself what you enjoy most?

Mendelssohn isn't really in fashion these days, but was very well thought of in his own time. I love all the Songs Without Words! Why don't you just try a few?

I expect Mad Tom, F#minor or Robodoc are the best people to ask for the others - I love listening to Chopin but find his music so difficult to play properly that it usually makes me feel very angry about my own lack of ability.

Have fun!

See, it's interesting that you love them, since I sooooo loathed the one that I started to learn back when I was...well...younger than I am now... that I was really quite badly put off. That's one of the reasons why I'd like to be pointed in the direction of a couple of good ones, rather than fiddle with the first couple of bars, and be reluctant to get into it...

You could try Opus 53 No 4 or Opus 62 No 4. They're quite well known and fairly easy to play.

Well, I know nearly all of this music and it encompasses quite a large variation in difficulty from Grade 5/6 (the easier Songs without Words) to ABRSM or beyond, so it depends on your level where you should start.

The easiest Schubert Impromptu is the A Flat one. Most of his Sonatas are Gr8 or more, though there are a few movements at about Grade 7, eg the Scherzo in the last BFlat sonata D960 (The slow movement is also gorgeous), and scherzo of the A minor Sonata D845. Try also D664 (A Major)slow movement though the whole has been set for Grade 8. As has the A minor (D784), but easier slow movement.

Moving to Mendelssohn Nos 4,6,9 are straightforward, then move on to 2, 12, 14, 19, 22, 25, 29, 30 (Spring Song), 35, and 42.

Chopin Waltzes , Nos 3 and 10 are the easiest, then maybe 9 and 12.
Nocturnes, the easiest are th two in G Minor, then the famous Eflat one (no2). I personally like the E Minor one (No19), and the F sharp minor (of course! ).

The Brahms pieces are more difficult than the above suggestions, all about Grade 8.

Hope this helps

I am doing two of Mendelsshon's SWW - no 4 (very short, just one page) and no 6 - I am enjoying both and have never bothered about fashion (in clothes, gardening, decoration {every 40 years whether it needs it or not} or music!)

Mendelssohn...songs without words...love it!!! especially OP 30 No.1. Also really like OP 67 no 2 and OP 19 no 6. Whatever you choose to play have fun!!!

The one in 3/8 with a descending arpeggio in semiquavers (IIRC) is one of my favourite pieces of all time (and I'm fussy about the piano repertoire ); I'm of bare Grade 8 competence on the piano, but this is one of the rare pieces of Brahms that I might consider performing to friends if I ever did such a thing. This was his last set of compositions for piano, and the fiendish No 4 is the final explosion of the piano virtuoso that he was in his younger days.

If this is No 1 in B minor then it's on the new Grade 8 syllabus, and I, to my amazement, am playing it. I'm not a Brahms fan in general, but I like this and I have time to get my fingers around the awkward stretches.

Regarding the Chopin: the preludes and nocturnes have become my bread and butter since beginning the piano. I find them very rewarding. The preludes have the benefit of being anything from moderately easy to very, very difficult (no. 16!). I began with no. 4, and then no.20. I then moved to the no.15 you mention. Do you mean the cord in bar 35? I had the same problem. Perhaps try playing the E with the right hand. It sounds just as convincing as long as you don't rush for the note at the last minute.

As for favourite, it tends to be whatever one I'm learning. I'm doing no's 14 and 28 at the minute. I do have a soft spot for no. 28, that said. (MadTom: you've mentioned playing this one. Is the incessant left hand likely to be possible without large hands?!)

I'm learning three of the nocturnes at the minute (op.9/1, op.72/1, op.48/1) , and have found they've taken a little more work. I don't think you'll find anything easy here. I played the G minor (op.37 one) and found the middle section of chords a little dull. But it's quite useful for having to change fingers to accomodate the different chords. Even though it's said to be around grade 6, I think it requires a fair bit of dexterity, however.

Some suggestions; but I always think it's worth having a listen to them, having a go (it's sight-reading practice if nothing else), and deciding what to play only then, taking into account how much work it would be at your current level.

Enjoy!

Schubert improptu d935. I'm playing no.2 in my book, its in 4 flats, very chordal at the begininng and end and gorgeous trio in the middle with RH triplets over sustained bass notes
It isn't hard, but is absolutely GORGEOUS.

Alder,

I get quite excited when I hear of a 'find' in a charity shop. Here's an amusing tale for you. A few years ago I had a tip-off from one of my students of a pile of music that had appeared in one of my local shops, and when I investigated further, I discovered a large cardboard box stuffed full of mostly ABRSM editions of past exam and diploma repertoire, similar to those you have found. I offered to pay £20 for the lot, but the woman behind the counter thought I was barmy. '£20???' she spluttered. 'Alright' I said 'How about £30 then?' She laughed and said 'We were going to throw the lot out: we thought we'd be lucky to get 10p or 20p per copy!!!' Amazing what gems you can find which others fail to recognise...

Anyway, back to the list you have acquired. Debussy's 'Pour le Piano' is rather challenging but worth a closer look (the Sarabande is on the DipABRSM repertoire list, and its quite beautiful). Scarlatti's Sonatas are a fantastic find: I think, K208, K209, K259 and K260 are my favourites (and they all appear on the DipABRSM list) so try those for something to explore further.

Enjoy

denmark

Yes that the one reffered to in my earlier post, and probably the easiest for the 8 Impromptus. Having said that I prefer the first set, particularly the E flat (no2), thats a good one for a competition piece., though the more lyrical G flat one is probably the best known.

i know three of the Songs Without Words, they are clever and pleasant pieces... sometimes his piano music is criticised because it's not profound or deeply emotional. Though i can understand such a view, I have tried to disregard these criticisms, as i don't think music always needs to be that way... some of the SWW's in my opinion are quite tedious and melodically predictable. ... however, ''pleasant'' is how i think of most of them. The Brahms Op119, as already pointed out, are not easy...apart from the waltzes, most of what he wrote is challenging, but the work put in is very well rewarded. His piano music is beautiful, poetic and never showy just for the sake of it...i have ambitions to learn many more of his pieces . Chopins preludes, all superb...how about No 17 ? it was Clara Schumanns favourite...it's pretty tricky, but what a melody...not easy either though.